CHILD MENTAL PATIENTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1044, 7 August 1930, Page 7

CHILD MENTAL PATIENTS

SUCCESS OF TEMPLETON FARM COLONY SPECIAL TRAINING WORK * THE Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Wed. The success of the Templeton Farm Colony in Christchurch as a means of treating child merftal hospital patients is shown in the annual report of the Mental Hospitals Department presented to Parliament today. Referring to the work of the Eugenics Board, Dr. T. G. Gray, Dir-ector-General of Mental Hospitals, states that another important accomplishment by the board has been the establishment of a farm colony at Templeton. near Christchurch, for children who, while unlikely to profit from the courses provided in special schools, are yet capable of being trained to some degree in manual work. “In a recent report to the Government,” says Dr. Gray. “I pointed out that the problem °f training the feeble-minded was very different from that involved in the care and treatment of persons suffering from mental disorder, and I advocated the provision of separate institutions for the former class apart from the listing mental hospitals. The establishment of the Templeton farm marks a distinct advance in this direction. “Hitherto the care of mor tally defective children has been divided between He Department of Mental Hospitals ; nd the Department of Education, and le decision as to which should assume ia n ship has been made upon the at her negative point as to whether or ot a child lias been “bad enough for a th * al hospital.” The result has been .at the special residential schools the Education Department have • accumulated cases of a cuslu/Ji sra de to the exclusion of those il yto benefit by the educational facJh Provided, while many children inrti Could Be trained to be at least f "supporting, have be6n comtod to mental hospitals, where little no systematic scheme of training been possible. n , the Templeton farm we have a of dea ling adequately with those and so affording relief to *ion departments concerned. Applicant. , 8 oa the part of parents to have hav* 1 , Ca ildren admitted to Templeton tion 6 • €n in excess °f the accommodate-, yet available, but good progress is Cr * m ade with the building proho„ 1IT !o’ T ' vo villas, each designed to h-U”® 4S children and four officers, have rkiJi °ccupied during the year, and a Th» ° ne be completed shortly. d. n ?e bo >'* ; * nil - 4 Sirls in real-, many cases are under con-